


Birdflash oneshots 2

by NightwingWriter



Series: Birdflash oneshots [2]
Category: DCeased (DC Comics)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-15 05:27:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 19,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29679108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightwingWriter/pseuds/NightwingWriter
Summary: Part two of my birdflash series
Relationships: Birdflash
Series: Birdflash oneshots [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2180883
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

Dick Grayson was known around Gotham as one of the most easy going guys you'll ever meet. He had a boyfriend, a steady job, and a rich family. What more could he want?

Dick can tell you. He wants to be able to come home without his brothers running around and trying to kill each other. He wants to be able to go home and get some sleep without explosions or gunfire or screaming. He wants to be able to go down to the cave and only hear the chirping of bats and the clicking of keys as Batman types on the computer.

Dick was in the library, finally enjoying the peace and quiet, when screams erupted from the other side of the Manor. Wally could practically hear Dick's blood pressure rise. "I'm gonna kill them." "Remember to hide their bodies under endangered plants." "You're supposed to be keeping me from killing them." "They're getting on my nerves, too." "You should set up pranks in their rooms." "On it."

"Get back here so I can I kill you, Todd!" "Gotta catch me first, Demon Spawn!" "Leave me out of this! I'm not going to be your shield, Jason." "You're supposed to be on my side." "I'm not on either of your sides!" "Then stop being a nuisance and get out of here, Drake!" "Make me, you little gremlin! I was here first!" "We're fighting here, whether you like it or not!"

"What the hell is going on here?" Dick snapped, storming into the gaming room. All three boys froze, looking at their pissed off older brother. "Demon Spawn started it!" Jason was quick to point out. "You stole my swords!" "You stole my bullets!" "You poured water on me two nights ago!" "You tried to dye my hair green!"

"Enough! Both of you just shut up!" The brothers fell silent again. "Tim, how the hell do you play into this?" "Jason tried to use me as a shield when he ran in here. I was already here, playing Minecraft, might I add. I am innocent." "You tried to throw me to the wolves!" "You were the one that riled them up! Now, can you two get off of me so I can start playing again?" The two rolled off of Tim, who got up and dusted himself off. "No wonder Loki was happy. He knew this would happen." Tim whispered to Dick as he walked past.

"Now, as for you two. If you're going to fight, so it in the cave, but no weapons. That means no swords, knives, guns, brass knuckles, or anything similar." "Fun sucker." Jason muttered. "Just go. Don't make me come down there again and kick both of your asses." "Yeah, right. I'd kick your ass, Goldie." "Try me." Shivers went down the younger brothers' backs. Dick had that tone of voice again. They both stood up and walked away, arguing about who was going to win.

Dick sighed, walking back to the library. Wally was laying on the couch, reading a book and crunching on an apple. "How have they not killed each other?" Dick groaned, flopping down on Wally's chest. Wally chuckled, kissing Dick's forehead. "There is no telling. Want some apple?" "No, thanks. I want brothers that don't constantly try to murder themselves." "You're a family of heroes. I doubt that'll ever happen." "Why must you be right?" "Because it keeps you sane." "True."


	2. Asexual

"You okay?" Wally asked Dick. They'd gotten into some foreplay a few minutes earlier, but something felt wrong. "Yeah. I'm fine." "No, you're not. Something's not right up there. C'mon, you can tell me. I won't judge." Dick sighed. "I don't know. I just...I don't know how to put it into words." "Try me." "Sex doesn't feel right. It never has. I don't understand why people like it so much. I don't know what people mean when they think someone's sexy, and I don't understand one night stands. It doesn't make sense, Walls. Am I broken?"

The desperation in his voice broke Wally's heart. "No. No, you're not broken." "Then why don't I understand it? Why don't I feel it?" Dick laid his head on Wally's shoulder. "It's the way you are, Dickie. It's nothing to be ashamed of. It's normal for people to feel like that." "Then why didn't I know about it?" "Because people hide it. They don't like feeling that way. They think they're broken, like you do. But they're not." "What is it, Wally? I don't get it."

"It depends on each person. I think you're Asexual, Dick. You don't understand it because you don't feel it." "But people say I'll find the right person who makes it better." "That's a lie, Dickie. Some people don't have a person that 'fixes' them. Some only find that person once they get close to them. Those are Demisexuals. It just depends on the person. It's a spectrum. There's no exact way to tell you what you are."

"So, I'm not...broken?" "No. You are you, in your own beautiful way. You've never been broken, Dick. But why did you go along if it didn't feel right? Why put yourself in that position?" Dick looked away. "It's what's expected of me, Walls. I'm supposed to be a playboy, a dog. Someone who chases sex like it's a ball. How do you get that reputation, only to turn around and say you don't feel any of it? How?" "You've never been a dog. You've been seeking validation, trying to find the person that'll make it better. Nobody has ever told you before it was normal." 

"But what about you? You feel sexual attraction." "I will be fine. You don't have to do anything you don't want. I can find toys to help me." "But I feel like I'm letting you down." "You're not. Believe me, there's no way you can let me down. Just being with you is better than anything I could've hoped for. I won't make you uncomfortable to satisfy me. Believe me, I went through middle and high school horny as hell without any way to relieve it. I'm better about it now. I don't need you sacrificing yourself for me."

"Think we can just cuddle?" Dick asked softly. Wally nodded. "Yeah. Here, lay on my chest." Wally laid down, smiling as Dick snuggled into his side. "How do you know I'm not broken?" "The same way I knew I wasn't when I realized I liked guys instead of girls: I had people who supported me, and I had people who had stories about feeling the same way I did. I knew I could overcome anything, as long as I had people who loved me by my side. It was...hard, sometimes, knowing I wasn't normal, but I learned to see it as a good thing. I'm not normal, so there is no normal. Everyone's different in their own way. For instance, you are an Asexual acrobat who has a boyfriend. Not many other people can say that." Dick smiled, leaning into Wally. Maybe he wasn't broken after all.


	3. Pagan Tim

At first, Tim had been very hesitant to admit to anyone that he was pagan. He'd heard stories about what happened to people who were, and he had become terrified. He'd only been one for about two weeks when a rumor started going around the school, saying that a pagan girl had gotten attacked in the hallway. Tim had hid all of his crystals and candles, only lighting them to check up on the deities. Any time someone other than Bruce came in, he'd scramble to hide it all. He knew Bruce could keep him safe, but he didn't want to risk something happening when no one was there.

"Hey, Persephone. Sorry I've been gone for so long. I had a mission." Tim whispered as he lit the purple candle. The flame flickered, almost scolding him for not bringing her. "I'm sorry. Really, I am. I didn't want anything happening to you. Here, I'll light Hades for you, okay? He's gonna be pissed at me too, but he'll be with you." Tim set her candle down, reaching for the black candle. It popped as he lit it, almost burning it. "Hello to you, too. Your wife wanted to see you." Hades popped again. "I had a mission. I'm back now, so stop pouting."

Tim picked up his white candle, lighting the wick. "Hey, Artemis. Sorry I've been gone for so long. Mission. You know how those are." She flickered, except hers seemed to be in forgiveness. Yes, she knew what missions were like. "Have any good hunting while I was gone? Catch a bear or two?" She flickered again. "That's good. You want to be next to Freya? You two usually get along." She flickered once more. "Alright. Let me light her. I'll try to be more consistent with lighting you guys." Tim chuckled. At least Artemis seemed to be in a good mood.

"Hey, Freya. Sorry I've been absent. I've had a mission." Tim smiled as he lit the maroon candle. Freya popped a few times, but wasn't too harsh. "I'm gonna set you by Artemis. She was excited to see you again." Tim set her down, smiling as the her flame and Artemis' started drawing towards each other. Tim was half convinced they were in love, but he wasn't going to jump to any conclusions. He moved on, reaching his last two candles. He usually switched the order he lit them in, so nobody could throw a hissy fit over not being first.

"Hey, Loki. Have fun while I was gone?" The green candle popped a few times, flickering with glee. "That much, huh? What am I, boring?" Tim chuckled, setting him down. He picked up Apollo, admiring the gold glitter. "Hey, Apollo. I know you're busy with the sun, but I thought I'd check in on you since I've been gone for a bit. It must get lonely up there."

Tim sat the candle down, blowing out the match he'd used to light them. He sat down to work, surrounded by the candles. He liked it when his deities were lit, because he liked seeing them interact. He liked seeing the light in his room dip and change as the gods conversed. It made him feel like he was back in time, before people were condemned for believing in something different than everyone else.

"Hey, Tim, I need your help with something." Dick walked into Tim's room. Tim suppressed a yelp, trying to play off his surprise. "What's up?" "Wally's got a friend who wants to get into deity work, and Zee is out of town. Need some help." "Why do you think I can help?" "Tim. I've known Zatana and Zatara for years. I know deity worship when I see it. I just need some gods for them to start with."

"Artemis would be a good one. She's pretty chill. Maybe Freya? It really depends on the signs. I'd have to see them. You don't mind?" "No. If I minded, I probably would've been struck down a long time ago. Hey, if you need any help with offerings, I can grab stuff from Zee." Tim smiled. "Thanks, Dickie. Um, do you mind not telling anyone? I don't think I'm ready to get it out there." "I can keep a secret, Tim. Just tell me when you want to announce it, and I'll help you."

Dick walked over, wrapping his arms around Tim's shoulders. "You thinking of any others for you?" "Maybe Aphrodite." "Make sure you keep her and Persephone apart, okay? They don't get along well." "Thanks, Dick." "It's no problem, Timbo."

"So? What'd he say?" Wally asked as Dick walked out. "Said he'd have to meet your friend. He is a pagan, though." "That's cool! You got a pagan brother." "You got a pagan friend." "Not common." "Not common at all. Just like us. Two badasses who fell in love." "You're so cheesy." "You love it." "I do." "Love you, Dickie." "Love you too, Walls."


	4. Deal with the devil 7

Dick had locked himself in one of the guest bedrooms, ignoring the pleas of the servants outside. He didn't want to see anyone right now. He wanted to be left alone. He felt downright awful, and he didn't want to talk to anybody.

The Demon Lords had been dealing with an uprising from one of the smaller demons, and Dick had just gotten word that Wally hadn't returned from the mission. Nobody knew where he was. They didn't know if he had gone missing, or if he was...

No, Dick wouldn't think like that. Wally had to be alright. He was one of the strongest demons alive. Hell, he was a Demon Lord! You don't just get that title for bad deeds. You get it for your strength and intelligence. Wally had to be alright. If he wasn't able to fight his way out, he was surely able to think it out. He would be fine. Dick would see him again. They would be able to hold each other again, get to reunite with Vixon and hang out as a family.

Someone knocked on the door. "Dickie? Are you in there?" Kirishima's voice cut through the door. "Go away." Dick rasped. His voice was weak from crying. "Please let me in, Dick. I just want to talk." "There's nothing to talk about." "At least let me see you. Face to face." "There's no point." "Please? From one bride to another." "Your husband came back. Mine didn't."

Kirishima sighed. "He won't let me in." Bakugou huffed. "You know what? I'll fix it later." "Fix what-" Bakugou kicked down the door, walking in. "I thought I said go away." Dick sighed. He was sitting in the window, watching the garden glumly. "And I said I'd fix your door later. You need to talk to someone." "I'm fine." "No, you're not." "He's coming back." "Dick, it may not be true." "He's coming back." "You need to face reality." "He's coming back."

Dick's voice was wavering. "Dick, listen to me. The demon we fought was very powerful. Wally is a demon lord, but even he has his limits. You need to accept that he might have been beat." "He's coming back. He's coming home." "You're not listening to me. I need you to listen, Dick. Look me in the eye and listen." Dick looked up hesitantly, meeting fiery red eyes. They looked sorrowful, like they carried a truth they didn't want to know. Tears started clouding Dick's vision, a lump forming in his throat.

"Dick, he might not be coming back." The words finally tore down the walls he'd built up. The tears spilled over, sliding down his cheeks. Bakugou pulled Dick into his lap, letting the raven haired boy cry. He knew it was hard for a bride to lose their Lord. A bride was first conceived to please their Lord, to take up tasks and to give children. Over the years, however, brides and Demon Lords grew closer, forming a bond so intense that even angels couldn't break them. Dick was going through every bad emotion he'd ever felt, all at once, now that his husband was gone.

Kirishima walked over, hugging Dick from behind. He had never felt the grief of losing Bakugou, but he knew the younger wasn't okay. He'd heard stories of brides being driven to madness by the loss of their partners. Maybe he could keep that from happening to Dick. He'd stay as long as Dick needed. Right now, Dick was the one that needed help. He could ignore his own problems until Dick got better.

"We'll stay here until we get a definitive answer. It's better for someone to be here while your emotions are a mess. Besides, if Wally doesn't return, another Lord must take you under their protection." "And you'll be that Lord?" "It's what Wally asked me. The first day I met you, he made me swear that if anything happened to him, I'd help you. Besides, I knew him the best out of the Demon Lords. I know how he'd want his work to be handled." Bakugou whispered, wiping away a few tears from Dick's cheeks.

Dick didn't eat that day. He'd refuse anything given to him, claiming he wasn't hungry in the slightest. Bakugou let it slide for the rest of the day, figuring Dick would need time to comprehend what was going on. He'd need to figure out what life without Wally would be like. He needed time to process his emotions as well. Incubi tended to have very strong emotions, which usually ended up controlling their actions. This could get messy if Bakugou wasn't careful.

Dick withdrew to his room during the evening, pulling out the ring Wally had given him. The ruby shone in the center, as if trying to convince him it was still beautiful. Dick sighed, rubbing his thumb across the jewel. He missed Wally. He wanted to know where his husband was. Everyone seemed convinced that he was dead, but Dick knew he wasn't. He couldn't be. He was a demon, so he was already dead. Besides, Dick could feel him. He was too far away to talk to, but Dick knew he was still alive. How could he be dead if Dick could sense him?

"Where are you, Wally? Why can't I find you?" Dick whispered, pressing his lips to the ring. A wave of cold ran through his body, followed by an image of a room in his mind. There was a cage against a wall, and inside was...Wally. He had chains wrapped around his wrists, and his body was bloodied and beat. One green eye was swollen closed, and every breath he took was ragged. Dick felt a wave of anger wash through him. Someone had his husband, and they'd hurt him.

Dick opened his eyes, a low growl escaping from his throat. He quietly got up, opening his window and looking out. Thanks to the vision, he knew exactly where Wally was. He shifted into a bat, joining a cluster that flew around. He needed to sneak away. If Bakugou knew he was leaving, he'd try to stop him. Dick couldn't stand that, not now. He wasn't letting anyone keep his husband away from him, especially when he knew where he was.

Dick flew down to the gate, landing just outside of it and shifting into a mouse. He just needed to get out of sight now. He needed to make his way to the marketplace. Sure, it was shifty as hell at night, but he couldn't wait. Wally might not last long with his injuries. Dick preferred to get him out now rather than later. Besides, Dick could heal his wounds, so he wouldn't be hurt anymore if Dick got to him.

Once he was about a mile out, he transformed back to a human, running through the forest. Sure, he could take the path, but that would take too long. Going through the forest was much faster, and it gave him cover to hide from anyone tracking him. He slipped past trees and bushes, ignoring the prickling from the leaves that caught his legs. Wally was hurt much worse than he was. He could deal with a little pain.

Dick snuck into the market, a hood hiding his face. He was getting closer. He could feel it. *Wally, can you hear me? Tell me if you can hear this.* *...Dick?* *Yeah. I'm coming to get you, okay? Just wait a little longer.* *No. Dick, get out of here. This guy is dangerous.* *I am too, and I'm pissed off. Nobody hurts you and gets away with it. I don't care if I get the Demon Lords on my tail, I'm helping you.* *Dick, please. He'll hurt you, too.* *Not if I have a say in it. You can't change my mind, Wally. I'm coming to rescue you.*

Dick turned into a mouse again, scampering into a ragged building. He could hear a game of poker going on, demon screeching and growling at each other. He headed to the basement, transforming back once he reached the top of the stairs. He could see the cage in the corner, and he could hear Wally's ragged breathing. He made his way down slowly, listening for any other footsteps. "Wally. I'm here, Walls. I'm gonna get you out, okay?" Dick whispered, summoning a key. He had a universal key that worked on any lock, since people liked chains and padlocks.

"Dick." Wally rasped, pulling against the chains. "Shh. It's okay, Wally. I'm going to get you out of here." "How did you find me?" "I had a vision. Just hold still, okay? I'll heal you when we're safe." "Please, go. I can't see you get hurt." "And I can't live without you. I'm not leaving unless I have you in tow." Dick wrapped his arms around Wally, gently pulling his weary body against his chest. "How? How can you carry me out of here?" "Who said anything about carrying?"

A flash of light filled the room, momentarily blinding the demons, before it settled down. They were back in the bedroom, the window still left open from earlier. "What? How did...I'm so confused." "I can teleport to bedrooms. Just hold still, and I'll heal you." "Don't let me go. Please?" "As long as you promise not to disappear on me like that again." "Deal." Dick pressed his lips to Wally's forehead, letting energy flow from his body to Wally's. The wounds started to close, and the swelling in his eye started to shrink.

Dick pulled back, smiling down at Wally. His beautiful green eyes met dazzling blue ones, both relieved to see the other. "Hey, beautiful." "Hey, gorgeous. How do you feel about going to bed?" "I think it sounds great. Bakugou and Kirishima are here, by the way. Bakugou kicked down a door." "He's fixing it. Right now, I just want to hold you." "I agree with that statement. I love you, Wally." "Love you too, Dickie."


	5. A different type of love

Wally groaned as he opened his eyes, wincing at the bright light that blinded him. He covered his eyes with his hand, grimacing as the leaves shifted under his back. Where was he? How had he gotten here? Why the hell did his head hurt so badly? Nothing was making sense. He didn't understand what had happened. Had he been kidnapped? Killed?

Leaves started crunching somewhere to his left, getting progressively closer. Was it a predator? Maybe another animal? He had to get up. He had to move. His body said no. Everything hurt, and he couldn't see anything. The sound kept getting closer, though. Wally tried to sit up, but fell back down. What happened to him? This couldn't be the end, could it? He was too young!

The sound stopped right next to him. Wally tried to move his hand, tried to see what it was, but the sun was too bright. A hand laid on his forehead, cool against the burning sun. That...was a human. There was another human there! Wally tried to call out to them, tried to talk, but it was in vain. His throat was too dry. He tried to grab the hand, but it moved before he could.

"Shh." They whispered, cupping his face. Wally tapped his throat, trying to signal what he wanted. "Rest. Safe." Wally tapped his throat again. "Water?" Wally nodded. The hand disappeared, and Wally heard wood thumping against stone. He could hear running water nearby, and wondered if it was safe to drink. He didn't really have much of a choice. The other human, who he was pretty sure was a guy, was in control of his care.

"Drink." the human whispered, pressing wood to his lips. Cool water trickled into his mouth, easing his dry throat. Wally gladly gulped it down. "Better?" The smooth voice asked. Wally nodded. "T-Thank...you." "No problem. Need more?" "Please." The man stood up, walking away again. Wally was feeling a little better now. That left the question: how the hell did he get here? The last thing he remembered was getting on a fishing boat with his Uncle Orion. How did he end up here? Where even was here?

Wally peeled his eyes open, managing to turn away from the sun. He was in a hut of some sort, on a pile of leaves that seemed to serve as a bed. Wooden items were hanging around the room, and he could see a spear made out of some metal next to the door. The man came back in, carrying a bowl of water. Wally felt a blush creep over him. Holy hell, this guy was gorgeous.

He had dark skin, which was a beautiful olive color. His long hair was tied up in a braid, slung over his shoulder with two blue feathers dangling at the end. He had an animal pelt fashioned into a skirt of some sort, and he had a string of stones around his neck. Wally felt his heart skip a beat. If this was the guy taking care of him, he never wanted to leave. "Awake." He said softly, kneeling down next to Wally. "W-What happened? Where am I?" "My home. Washed up on beach. Weak, and tired. Brought to village. Drink."

He pressed the wooden bowl to Wally's lips again, tipping it back. Wally wasted no time in gulping it down, swallowing every drop he could get. Dick pulled the bowl back, setting it down on the ground. "You stand?" "I don't know if I can. What's your name?" "Dick. You?" "Wally. Thank you for saving me." "Leave no one behind. Even strangers." "I'm glad you don't, otherwise I probably would've been dead."

Another man walked in. He was dressed similarly to Dick, but he had black feathers and black paint on his face. "How is he?" "Healing. Awake. Orion?" "He's fine. Annoyingly so. Do you think he's okay enough to see him?" Dick nodded. The other man walked out again, heading to another hut. "Who was that?" "Bruce. Adoptive father. Chief." "What happened to your parents?" "Killed. Panther invaded our hut. I was six." "I'm sorry." "It's okay. Happened long time ago. Better now." 

Bruce led Orion into the hut, standing outside the door. "Wally." Orion sighed, pulling him into a hug. "Hey, Orie." "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" "I'm fine. Dick's been taking care of me. Where are we?" "A small island off the coast. We got caught up in a storm, and were sent off course. They helped us. I managed to get a mayday signal out before we went down, so help should be by soon." Wally nodded. Help was coming, so that was good...right? Why was his stomach sinking, then?

Dick stood up, grabbing his spear and walking towards the door. "Where are you going?" Wally asked. "Hunting. Need food for tonight." Dick walked out, heading towards the forest. "What's tonight?" "They're having a celebration of some sort. I'm not sure what it is. Most of them seem happy, but Dick isn't." "I wonder why." "I'm not sure. I'm just glad you're okay." "Yeah, you too. Do you remember when we got into the storm?" "Yeah. It was rough, and you'd gotten knocked out pretty early on. I'm not surprised you don't remember it."

Dick slipped through the forest, heading to the waterfall. Tonight was his eighteenth birthday. It was when he'd be declared the next chief, and be trained to take over the village. The only problem was he had to have a mate before then. Nobody had ever caught his eye, not until Wally. Now, help was coming to take him away. Dick wanted to curse the fates, to shoot their stars from the sky until there was no light left. He wanted to make the gods feel as miserable as he was.

Dick slipped behind the water, heading to the carving he'd made long ago. It was a ritual for their tribe, to carve your initial into stone together. Dick had made his mark long ago, carving his initial into the stone. He had tried to imagine what letter would be next to his. Would it be an A? Maybe a J? What about an S? There were many possibilities. He ran his hand over the familiar scratches, longing for the day someone else would be beside it.

"Found anything yet?" Bruce asked as he slipped behind the water. "No. Not hunting." Bruce looked at the scratches, and it suddenly clicked. "You like him." "Yes." "But he's leaving. He can't be your mate." "I know." "You need to find someone else, Dick. This won't work." "I can't." "Can't, or won't?" "Can't." "Why not?" "Fates." "You think the Fates are doing this." "Feel it. Hate it, but feel it."

Dick's broken English was part of a curse. It was the same reason he had to have a mate by his eighteenth birthday. Slowly, as he got closer to coming of age, he'd lost the ability to do some things. He couldn't draw well anymore. It was a struggle to shoot with his bow. Sometimes his legs didn't work. He would experience seizures occasionally, which left him weak. Soon, Dick wouldn't be able to talk. Unless he got his mate soon, he'd slowly delve into madness, lost completely to humanity.

Bruce put his hand on Dick's shoulder. "There has to be something else." "Not." Bruce sighed. "At least come with me. We'll catch something together, then go back." "Time bad." "I know. Believe me, I know." "Mark." "Someone will put their mark there." "No. Mark." Bruce was confused. "What mark?" Dick pointed to his side. "There's nothing there." Dick shook his head. "Wally. Mark Wally." "There's a mark on Wally?" Dick nodded. "Mate." "Dick, he can't be your mate." "Mate."

Bruce sighed. He put his arm around Dick's shoulders, leading him away. Sometimes, when Dick was certain about something, he'd insist until nobody could understand what he meant. Bruce usually had to take him somewhere else and calm him down. It frustrated him to no end that he was losing the ability to do things, and it didn't help his speech at all. He'd had a seizure about a week ago, and he was still recovering. He didn't act like it, but Bruce knew. 

Wally was sitting in the hut when a ship's horn blew, startling him. "Help's here." Orion smiled, walking out to the beach. Wally looked down at his hands. Sure, he'd only known Dick for a short while, but he couldn't leave him. He didn't know why he felt like this, but he did. Bruce and Dick were coming back, a deer slung over his shoulder. Dick headed towards the center of the village, "What was that?" Bruce asked him. "A ship. They came to take us home." 

"You don't sound happy." "I don't want to leave. I don't know what it is." "What's the reason? You must have one for not wanting to go home." "Believe it or not, it's Dick. I've only known him for a few days, yet I feel like I know him better than most people back home. I felt comfortable letting him care for me. I know it sounds strange, but I really like him. A lot better than I've ever liked anyone." "You sound like him. He kept insisting you were someone special." 

"Do you think...do you think it's possible I can stay here?" "I don't know. You've got people back home who will miss you." "And I'll miss them too. I just feel like I can't leave him." "Then talk to Orion. He can send a message that you stayed." "He's just so set on me coming back with him. I don't want to hurt him. I also don't want to pull Dick away from his home. I'm more willing to leave my home than take him away."

Orion came back to the hut. "It's the rescue team. They're here to take us home." Wally looked down. "I'll leave you two to talk." Bruce stepped out of the hut, looking at the giant ship. He didn't like the way it gleamed. "What's up, Walls?" "I don't wanna leave." "Why not?" "I feel better here than I ever have at home. I feel closer to Dick than I do to some of my friends. I don't know what it is, but I want to stay." Wally explained.

Orion smiled. "If you want to stay, then stay. I know what it feels like, to want to be somewhere else. I've always loved the sea, a hell of a lot more than the land. Stay here, and be happy." "But what about Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris?" "I'm gonna get a better boat. I can bring us out here any time they want. You'll be missed, kid, but if you're happy, that's all that matters." "Thanks, Orie. You're sure about it?" "I'm sure, kiddo. Go get your man." 

Wally wrapped his arms around Orion's neck, pulling him close. "I'll miss you." "I'll miss you too, kiddo. You stay safe out here, got it?" "I got it. Be safe on your ride back." "I will. Love ya, kid." "Love you too, Orie." Orion pulled back, walking out towards the ship. Wally watched as he boarded the boat, sad and glad all at the same time. He got to stay with Dick, but Orion was leaving. Speaking of Dick, Wally needed to find him.

Bruce walked up to Wally. "You stayed." "Yeah. Do you know where Dick is? I need to talk to him." "He's over in our hut. I can take you to him." "Please." Wally followed Bruce through the village, until they came to a big hut. Dick was inside, curled up on a cot. "Is he okay?" "He's resting before tonight. It's not every day you turn sixteen." "You know, you speak really good English." "Our parents spoke it. They passed it to us. We have never been able to make it back to civilization, but we don't want to anymore. We're comfortable here."

Wally walked over to Dick, sitting next to the cot. The raven haired boy was dozing, although he looked even more unhappy. "Why doesn't he talk the same way? You raised him, right?" "It's a curse. Slowly, as he got closer to his eighteenth birthday, he started losing the ability to do things. He can barely talk anymore. He knows how to talk in English, but the curse won't let him. It frustrates him to no end. Tonight should be the night the curse is broken, but he doesn't have a mate. It'll only get worse from here, unless he somehow finds one in a few hours."

Wally nodded. Dick yawned, rolling onto his side. "What happens if he doesn't find one?" "He'll slowly go insane. There's no way to reverse it once he reaches that point." "How did this happen?" "Nobody is truly sure. His parents knew, but they were killed before they could explain it to me. Dick was too young to remember it. I only hope he can find someone soon, but he's wasting his time. He doesn't have much left." "Maybe not." "What makes you say that?" "A gut feeling."

Dick woke up about an hour later, stretching and popping his back. "Hey, Dick. Can I talk to you?" Wally asked quietly. Dick nodded, looking over at the redhead. "Not gone?" "No. I'm staying, Dick. I'm staying here with you." "You stay?" "I'm staying. And I wanted to talk to you about your curse. Bruce said you have to have a mate before tonight, correct?" Dick nodded. "I want to be that person. I feel like I know you better than anyone I've ever met. I'm happy being around you. I want you to be happy too. Please, Dick. Let me be your mate."

Wally leaned up, gently pressing his lips to Dick's. Dick cupped Wally's face, immediately going to kiss back. He wanted Wally as his mate. He wanted Wally to carve his initial into the stone next to his. "What do you say? Wanna be my mate?" Wally pulled back and smiled. Dick nodded, leaping up and grabbing Wally's hand. "You want to show me something?" Dick led Wally out of the hut, taking him to the waterfall. There was still hope after all. Wally had stayed, for him. He wasn't going back home.

Dick led Wally to his carving, taking Wally's hand and putting it over his initial. "This one is for you. I assume the other will be for me?" Wally asked. Dick nodded, pulling out his knife. "Carve W." "I don't know if I can make it deep enough." "Help you." Dick handed the knife to Wally, guiding his hands up to the stone. Wally watched as they started engraving his initial, right next to Dick's. He couldn't believe it. He'd always thought that carving your initials was a cheesy move, something for old people. Now, he was doing it. Man, he sure was a hypocrite sometimes.

They finally took the knife down, and Dick brushed away the shards of stone. "It's beautiful, Dick." "You beautiful." "I'm not the only beautiful one. You ready for tonight? When this will finally be over?" Dick nodded. "Ready." "I'll be right there with you, Dick. We'll never be apart after tonight." "Forever." "Yeah. Together forever. I love you, Dick." "Love too, Wally."


	6. Deal with the devil 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut warning.

Dick grinned as Wally pinned him down, Wally's hands making his seem tiny in comparison. He could hold both of Dick's wrists in one hand, and his fingers touched when he wrapped his hands around Dick's waist. Sure, Dick could change his size to match Wally's, but he liked this. He liked being small, liked feeling protected. He liked it when Wally wrapped around him, like a protective cocoon. 

Wally dipped his head down, sliding his fangs against Dick's gentle neck. "You look so good like that. All spread out for me. Can't wait to get inside of you. It's been too long." He mused, his free hand trailing down Dick's stomach. "That's cause you've been busy. I didn't want to interrupt you." Dick whispered, panting at the heat in his stomach. "You should've told me. I can always take time off to help you. You need to feed." "You don't need to get behind because of me." "Believe me, I am way ahead. I like spending time with you, so I work hard to clear time. There's nothing better than you."

Dick blushed. Wally chuckled, gently sinking his teeth into Dick's neck. Dick gasped, tilting his head to give the redhead more access. His long, scaly tail was wrapped around Dick's waist, keeping him in place as he sucked and bit marks into his neck and shoulders. Dick hummed softly, leaning into Wally's embrace. Okay, yeah, he'd only told Wally he needed to feed because he almost passed out (again), but he had a good reason! Wally had a lot of work to do daily, and Dick didn't want to be the reason he got behind. It had taken him over sixty years to get used to asking for things from the servants. Wally was another matter entirely. 

Wally flipped them over, putting Dick on top. "Wally?" "Come on, baby. I want to see you ride me." "Which one?" "Whichever you prefer. If you get too tired, I can always take over." Dick nodded, reaching behind him and grabbing Wally's length. It was long and thick, as always, but...holy shit, were those barbs? "You try to stay in me tonight?" "Hell, wrong one. One or two?" "Mm, let's go two tonight." Wally grinned, changing until the head of his cock was thicker and flatter. "Horse cock? Really?" "You chose it." "What was the other one?" "Tentacle." "I'm getting that one in me later tonight." "You got it."

Dick positioned Wally's cock at the tip of his folds, his slick slowly dripping over the head. He slowly sank down, moaning as the thick head pushed past his entrance. "You're really tight. You like this, don't you?" "Wally, I'm trying my best not to fall here. If you make me laugh, something might rip." "Is it too big?" "No, I've just got to get used to it. My body will change to fit it, I just need to get it all in." "Alright. Tell me if you need any help." "I think I'll be okay. Thanks for the offer, though." 

Dick managed to get all the way down, resting his head on Wally's shoulder. "Give me a minute. It takes longer when I'm low on energy." "I didn't even do anything!" "I could sense it. You're just begging to get me moving, aren't you?" "I can't help it. You're too sexy." "That's my job." "Oh, I know it. I'm glad I managed to scoop you up before anybody else got you." "I'm glad you got me." "How about now? Is it better?" "Yeah. Better brace yourself."

Dick lifted himself up, until only the tip remained inside. He slammed himself down, moaning at how Wally spread him out, made him feel full. "Just like that." Wally grinned, wrapping his hands around Dick's hips and helping him move. He loved when he could get Dick on his cock, loved making him move and show himself off. If he had a choice, he'd stay here every second, watching as Dick enjoyed himself. 

Wally summoned a collar, pulling Dick forward by the leash. "Come on, baby. Let Daddy take care of you. You gonna let me fuck you good? I'll go nice and deep, just like you like it." Dick whimpered, nodding enthusiastically. Wally pinned Dick to the bed again, wrapping the leash around his wrists. Dick only had a few seconds to prepare himself before Wally started moving, thrusting that giant cock into Dick's body. Dick yelped at the first thrust, any breath knocked out of his lungs after that. His legs instinctively wrapped around Wally, tears bubbling up in his eyes.

Dick cried out as he came, squirting against Wally's stomach. The Demon Lord grinned, pulling Dick closer. "Such a good boy for me. You like this, don't you? You like when I use your body." Dick whimpered, body aching as Wally continued his rampage. Dick didn't have enough energy yet, so this hurt a little. He'd be okay in a bit. He knew he would. It always happened. Wally always took care of him when he needed it. 

Dick passed out at some point, pulled close to Wally's body. He woke up later, to find his face pressed into the pillow and a tentacle inside his walls. "You're awake. Good. I was afraid that you would miss this." Wally purred in his ear, kissing his shoulder. "What happened?" "You passed out. Don't worry, I've got you." Wally pressed into Dick's body, growling softly in his ear. A moan was punched out of his chest as Wally came inside of him, overflowing his uterus and dripping down his legs. Wally pulled out, admiring his cum sliding down Dick's trembling thighs. 

"Feel better?" Wally asked, looking at Dick's face now. "Yeah. Mind helping me clean up? I don't think I'll be walking for a bit." "Yeah. I love you, Dick. If you ever need to feed, just tell me. I can always make time for you." "Thanks, Wally. I'll try." "All you have to do is ask, darling. Come one, let's get you to bed." "I love you so much." "I know you do."


	7. Hockey

There was no time for Dick to avoid it. A few seconds after getting his shot blocked, one of the opponents had thrown a hissy fit and swung his stick towards Dick. It had crashed through his helmet, striking him in the nose and knocking him back. Pain started spreading through his face, needlessly reminding him he'd gotten hit. He could hear the sound of skates sliding to a stop, and multiple sticks falling to the ice.

Blood was starting to drop out of his helmet, staining the ice below him. He felt dizzy, and it was hard to breathe. He could hear shrill whistles blowing, and he could hear very loud arguing. Maybe a few blows? It was hard to think. Whatever happened, he knew that somebody was not happy.

Hands turned him on his back, sliding his helmet off of his head. "Dick. Hey, kiddo, wake up. Come on, we gotta get you off the ice." A soft voice told him over the screams of the other players. "Woozy. Don't...don't feel good." Dick rasped. "It's no good. Get the stretcher. It's probably a concussion." "Probably? That dude swung at Dick's head like it was a baseball!" "Calm down. He'll be fine. We'll need to get him to Leslie, though."

Dick blacked out after that, the shouts of both teams and the fans slowly drifting away. He doesn't remember what happened, exactly. He remembers a scuffle somewhere else on the ice, remembers the sound of helmets and gloves beating against each other. He remembers being put on the stretcher, but he doesn't remember being taken off. He remembers the sound of his coach talking to Leslie, but doesn't remember what the conversation was about.

He woke up an undiscerned amount of time later, blinded by bright light. He come feel an ice pack on his face, right over his nose. "Sleeping Beauty awakes. Hold still for me." Leslie sat on the edge of the bed, shining a pen light in his eye. "What happened?" "You got knocked out. Concussion, broken nose, and a few stitches. Follow the light." "Which one? There's four." Leslie hummed. "Just follow one."

Leslie continued on, doing a few more neuro-tests that he'd been through a thousand times. He could hear the game going on outside of the room, buzzer after buzzer blaring through the stadium. "What's going on?" "Your boy got real fired up. He's been making shot after shot tonight." "Wally?" "He's the redhead, ain't he?" "Yeah." "Then that's him." Dick tried to sit up, but Leslie pushed him down.

"I said stay down. That concussion is real bad. You're going to the hospital once the paramedics get here." "That bad?" "Yeah. That bad. Wally almost got pulled off the ice earlier cause he kept going after the guy that hit you." "Was that all the shouting?" "Yeah. The guy who attacked you had to be escorted off the ice. From what I hear, Wally managed to break his jaw." "That's Wally for ya." "Mhmm."

The door to the room opened, a player poking his head through. "How is he?" "He's awake, Roy. Not sure he's all here, but he's awake." "Can I talk to him?" "You can try. He may not be able to answer all of them. Don't ask him anything he has to think too hard about." "What's 2+2?" "I will stab you." "No, you won't. You're staying in that bed." "I can stab him from here." "No, you can't."

Roy stepped in, closing the door behind him. "Hey, Dickie. How do you feel?" "Feel like hell. Head hurts." "I'm not surprised. He whacked you pretty hard." "Which one was it?" "Sixty two. He barely made it off the ice." "How's Wally?" "He's fine. Got a bruised cheek, but nothing else is wrong with him. He's been pissy since you got hit." "M'not surprised. He know I'm headed to the hospital after this?" "My guess is he has a feeling."

Leslie came back into the room, followed by two men clothed in blue and another stretcher. "Tell Wally I'm gone when you talk to him next." "Will do. You get some rest. We'll make sure to kick their asses for you." "You do that." "Don't die." "Don't plan on it." The paramedics transferred Dick to the stretcher, wheeling him out to the ambulance. "What's your name, sir?" The first paramedic asked him, leaning over his head."Dick Grayson." "What year were you born?" "1990." "Do you know where you are?" "Ambulance. Headed to the hospital. Coach is gonna kill me later."

"I doubt that, but we're gonna take good care of you. Do you know your injuries?" "Broken nose, concussion, and I got stitches." "Good. We're gonna give you some pain meds, and a sedative, to help you relax during this. You'll get a few x-rays, we'll do some correctional stuff to your nose, to put it simply, and we'll check to make sure nothing else is broken. You lost quite a lot of blood, so we may do a transfusion, based on your blood level. Do you understand all that?" "Yes."

Dick felt tired. "Hey, stay with me. We're almost to the hospital." "Don't think...I can keep my eyes open that long." "Focus on me. Look at my face. Tell me something you see." Dick tried to focus, but the bright light kept getting in the way. "You have very blurry eyes." "Dammit. Tell that driver to hurry up, we're taking too long." "He's going as fast as he can. Traffic is hell during games, and people apparently don't know how to get out of the way." "They're not going to like this." "He'll be fine. Besides, we were going to sedate him anyway." "To calm him down, not knock him out. Alright, listen to me, Dick. We're going to do the same stuff, but you'll be unconscious for it. We'll take care of you."

Dick didn't know how, but the next time he opened his eyes, he was in a hospital room, connected to monitors of all kinds. He had an IV in his arm, pumping fluids into his body. "Hey, go get a nurse. Dick, can you hear me?" A familiar voice asked. "Wally?" "Yeah. Yeah, it's me. Can you hear me alright?" "Yeah. What happened? Did we win?" "We won, Dickie. We kicked their asses." "What happened to the other guy?" "The one that smacked you?" "Yeah." "I broke his jaw. Fucker's gonna have it wired shut for three months." Dick chuckled softly. "You're such a simp." "Just for you, babe."


	8. Dog Park

Wally sat on the bench, typing on his phone as his dog ran around. He usually came here on his days off, since Tucker was always stuck in his small apartment when he was gone. It gave him time to run around and have fun when he didn't normally have the space. He would spend hours here, letting Tucker have fun and run around.

Lately, however, he'd noticed a new arrival at the park. It was a black haired man who usually came with seven different dogs. He would train some, and the others would run around. The pit bull he brought usually played with Tucker, and was one of the sweetest dogs Wally had ever met. The human was pretty sweet himself.

Wally infatuation with him started the way every romance movie with dogs started. He'd been walking Tucker through the park when he started running a different direction, towards the man with seven dogs. They ran around until the leashes were tangled around their legs, pulling them close together. Wally had found himself completely in love. He hadn't gotten his name, to busy trying to stop the flood of apologies that came from the younger. What he did get was that he was a pet sitter for a wealthy neighborhood, and that he brought the dogs here to play. He was very good at watching the dogs, making sure they didn't get into fights or get aggressive.

Tucker started yipping, running over to the gate and running along the fence. The dog sitter was back again, although he only had one dog with him today. It was the pit bull, and Tucker seemed excited. "Hey. Where's your crew?" Wally called. "Dog show today. They're all competing." The raven haired guy answered, opening the gate and stepping inside. "Not this one?" "Nah. Last time she tried to compete, she almost got her ear bit off by a chihuahua. Plus, this show isn't allowing pit bulls."

"Why?" "They claim they're too aggressive. I don't really mind. She's mine, anyway. I don't like putting her in environments that make her uncomfortable. That's why I like here. Not too many people, and your dog gets along with her just fine." "He's usually pretty chill. How did you find this place?" "Got a recommendation from a friend. I've been happy with it." "Yeah. I enjoy it too. I have a small apartment, so it's nice to let him run around. I need a bigger place, but I can't afford it, and doggy daycare is ridiculously expensive." "I understand that. Mind if I sit here?" Wally shook his head, sliding over to give the other room.

"I'm Wally. I never did get your name." "Dick Grayson. You're the one I got tangled up with." "Yeah. How do you handle all of those dogs? Surely they're not all attentive." "I work out. I started because I wanted to be able to hold any dog like it was a baby. It's payed off, especially whenever I pass a mailman. Those dogs go nuts." "Rich dogs, huh?" "Don't get me started. I have to carry around a bag of special food for one of the dogs because she's on a diet. Something stupid her owner put her on. I throw the container away and get her some real food. I don't like making their health worse when I know I can treat them better." "Is it a vegan diet?" "Worse. A carb diet." "No." "Yeah. She doesn't have any allergies or anything, so it's not that. Her owner went on one, so they decided to put her on one too. I tried to explain to them that it wasn't healthy, but they just brushed me off."

"Do they give her any protein supplements?" "Nope. Says they're 'the work of the devil', whatever the hell that means. I give her some whenever I see her, which is about every two days. I also groom them, so each one has a very specific care routine they have to go through, or their owners get pissy. This is the only money I can make right now, so I can't risk losing any of this. They're all tight knit, so if one drops me, the rest will too. It's a sucky situation." "No kidding. I work for a pharmacy down by the taco building, so-" "Taco building?" "I always go there to get tacos, so that's what I call it." "Makes sense. Go on." "I work for the pharmacy, so I know what it's like to need that job. Do you have an apartment or something?" "Yeah. Rent went up just a bit ago, so now I need this job even more."

"Why don't you move in with me?" "Seriously? We barely even know each other. I could be a serial killer, for all you know." "Yeah. Tucker likes you, and I trust his judgement. It'll cut down rent and stuff, and we can help each other with our dogs." Dick chuckled. "True. I mean, we could." "But?" "But if I don't make it to the houses on time, I could lose my income. I don't know where you live, and I don't know how far away it is." "Which neighborhood do you go to?" "Glenn-wood. You know, the one with the golf course and stuff?" "Yeah. It's a twenty minute drive from my place. It could work." "What about size? My place isn't huge either, but we're putting two dogs in a small space." "That's what here is for. We can take them here and let them run some energy out." "I suppose it could work. I'll have to think about it." "How about I get your number? That way you can call me when you've made up your mind." "Got your phone on you?" Wally nodded, pulling it out.

Wally sat in his apartment that night, watching his phone anxiously. He really hoped Dick would respond. Wally had sent over a few memes earlier, just to make sure it worked. Dick had giggled at them, calling Wally a dork. Now Wally could get that laugh out of his head. It was so pretty. His smile was amazing too, with dazzling teeth that looked like pearls. Tucker was curled up in his lap, dozing on his knee. He always conked out after a day at the park, which made Wally happy. Tucker tuckered himself out. His phone rang on the table, lighting up with Dick's name. It was a text.

"It's a deal."


	9. Sex pollen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut warning

Wally looked over at the door as someone knocked, wondering who the hell was at his house this late. Normally he'd be asleep, but he was finishing up some of his assignments, so he was up later. Very few people actually came to his house at night, unless it was a hero who needed help, and they usually used the window. Besides, he always got a call ahead of time, and he hadn't this time.

Wally opened the door, surprised to see Dick. He was leaning against the doorframe, and he looked feverish. "Dickie? What are you doing here?" Wally pulled him inside, pressing the back of his hand to Dick's forehead. "Fought Ivy downtown. Got hit with sex pollen. Knew you lived nearby, so I came here. I don't feel good." Dick rambled, body trembling as he stood. "Alright, let's get you to the shower. We'll get some cool water for you." "It hurts." "I know. Just let me take care of you, okay? You'll be just fine." Dick didn't look good.

Wally led Dick to the bathroom, keeping an eye on his condition. Dick's pupils were blown wide, although his body was weak in Wally's arms. He kept tripping over his own feet, and Wally wondered how the hell he'd managed to get here without falling flat on his face. Wally sat Dick against the wall, turning to the tub. He had to get Dick cooled down. He turned the cold water on and added a bit of heat, letting it flow through the tub. He plugged the drain, waiting for it to fill. "It's almost ready, Dickie. I'm gonna need to get you out of your clothes, though."

Dick nodded, moving to let Wally pull his shirt off easier. His chest was heaving, and it seemed he was struggling to breathe. "You okay? Besides the whole horny thing?" "Yeah. I'm just really hot." "I know. The bath is filling up right now. Just hang on for me." "Your eyes are really pretty." "I know, they're part of my charm. I'm gonna get your pants off, okay? You better be wearing some sort of underwear under there." "M' not Jay." "Yeah, that's an experience I don't ever want to have again. Just lean on me, kay?" Dick nodded, wrapping his arms around Wally's neck. He was so tired, and yet somehow so wound up he just couldn't sleep.

Dick buried his nose in the side of Wally's neck, breathing deeply. Wally smelled great. Sure, this was the guy who'd been his best friend since he was a kid, but he couldn't find it in him to care. "You like my shampoo? Got it two weeks ago." "It smells good." "I really like it. Do you care about your boxers getting wet?" "I got another pair here. I don't really care." "Alright. Let me finish the bath, then we'll get you in." Dick didn't let go. "Dickie, come on. I gotta turn the water off." "You can do that with me holding on." "It's the pollen speaking in your brain, Dick. We've gotta get you cooled down."

Wally managed to drag Dick with him, turning off the water. "Alright, time to get you in." Wally picked Dick up, setting him down in the water. Dick sighed, letting his head roll to the side as he got the first bit of relief he'd had in a while. "I'm going to get you some water. I'll be right back, okay?" Wally asked as he brushed the hair out of Dick's face. Dick nodded, sliding down in the water and blowing bubbles.

Wally made his way to the kitchen, grabbing a water bottle and a granola bar. His phone started ringing, so he answered it. "Wally West speaking." "Wally, is Dick with you?" Bruce's gruff voice cut through the phone. "Yeah. He crashed here about twenty minutes ago, said he'd been hit by sex pollen. I've got him in a cool bath right now, and I'm going to see if I can get him to eat something." "I'm on my way over." "I can take care of him for tonight. He's pretty tired, so I think he'll just end up crashing. He was a bit feverish, but I'm taking care of that." "Are you sure? I can pick him up." "Yeah. I'm sure. I can take care of him." "Call me if you need anything." "Will do. See you later, Bruce."

Wally slid his phone back into his pocket, heading towards the bathroom again. He could hear water splashing around, as well as soft sighs. "Having fun in here?" Wally asked as he closed the door. Dick was sitting up in the bath, hair now damp and slicked back as he ran his fingers through it. "Yeah. I feel much better now. Thanks for this." "It's no problem. Here. I got you a water bottle, and a snack if you get hungry." "Thanks. Sorry for crashing in on you so late, I just didn't know where else to go. I'd gotten separated from the others, and my mind was so foggy I could barely think." "You're cool, dude. Based on the slight fever you had, I'm glad you came to me."

Dick accepted the water bottle, opening it and taking a swig. "How's your head? Clearer?" Wally asked. "It'd better. I'm not fully there, and most of them are...very weird, but I'm better." "So, how long until this goes away?" "Not sure. This is a pretty strong batch, though. I can feel the difference." "Why were you here anyway? Isn't Ivy normally in Gotham?" "She was meeting up with a chemical scientist who had supplies she needed. We caught him, but I'm not sure what happened with Ivy." "B called earlier. Didn't say anything about it, but he asked about you. I told him I could take care of you tonight." "Not sure I could handle a lecture right now." "I figured. You can take the bed tonight, I'll sleep on the couch." "I'm the guest. I can take the couch." "Dick, you're taking the bed." "No, you are." 

"You're not in the best place to argue." "I'm not taking the bed." "Yes, you are. I'll drag you in there if I have to." "I'm not taking the bed." "I'm not either." "I'm taking the couch." "I am." "Listen, you bottomless pit, I'm taking the couch." "Like hell you are, you smartypants." "I will strangle you." "No, you won't. You love me too much." "I'm horny as hell, and you're pissing me off. I have no limits right now." "Yeah, you do." "No, I don't." "If you had no limits, you'd have torn those boxers off by now." "That's modesty, not limit." "You were a stripper!" "And I have modesty, otherwise Alfred would've torn my head off by now."

Wally managed to drag Dick out of the tub, drying him off with some towels and giving him an extra pair of clothes. They then fought again about who was taking the bed. Wally had slung Dick over his shoulder, but he still argued. "I'm not taking the bed." "Yes, you are. I'm carrying you to it right now." "I am not sleeping in your bed. It's yours, not mine." "You're my best friend, dude. We're closer than a lot of people. I don't care if you crash in my bed. Batman knows how many times I crashed in yours." "Did you just refer to my dad as a god?" "He has too many secrets. My theory is he's secretly a god, but he doesn't want to tell anyone." "You truly are insane." "Well, you're stuck with my insanity. You signed up for that when you became my best friend."

Wally slung Dick onto the bed. Dick wrapped his legs around Wally, pulling him down too. They were face to face now, staring into each others eyes intently. There was something there neither could describe. It may have only been the pollen for Dick, but the same thing was in Wally's eyes. Even then, Wally got the feeling Dick felt the same way. It wasn't all the pollen. They moved immediately, crashing their lips together and moving to touch the other. Hands slid over bodies and tongues clashed as the air grew warm. They've wanted this forever, they were just worried the other didn't feel the same.

Wally dipped his head down, gently biting into Dick's neck. "Wally." Dick sighed softly, wrapping his arms around Wally's chest. "I know. Just let me take care of you, okay? I've got you." "It hurts." "I'm going to take the pain away." Dick bucked his hips up, moaning quietly as he finally got some much needed friction. Wally started grinding against Dick, leaving marks on his collarbones. "You've got no idea how long I've wanted to do this for." "I've wanted to do it for a long time, too. C'mon, you're taking too long." Dick whined, pulling at Wally's shirt. Wally pulled it off and tossed it somewhere, leaning down and capturing Dick's lips again. His lips were too good to pass up.

Neither were really sure how they ended up in certain places. Wally wasn't sure how he'd gotten all his clothes off, Dick's heavenly mouth wrapped around his cock. Dick wasn't sure how he ended up with his cheek in the pillow, a soft tongue poking at his rim. Neither were sure why the hell they didn't do this sooner. This was filling their wildest fantasies, made their dreams seem not so strange. Sure, they would've died before telling the other they had wet dreams about them, but they didn't care right now. All they cared about was finally easing that tension that had been hanging around for so long.

Wally slicked himself up with lube, pressing against Dick's hole. "You ready?" Wally asked, moving the hair out of Dick's face. Dick nodded, waiting for Wally to finally take him. Wally pressed his head past the rim, growling softly at the tight heat that sucked at him. He pushed himself forward, pulling Dick's body to his as he bottomed out. Dick moaned, hand moving to grab the arm around his chest. "S' that okay? It's not too much, is it?" Wally asked, kissing Dick's shoulders. "Feels great." "M' gonna start moving, kay?" Dick nodded, leaning into Wally's body. He needed this. He needed Wally.

Wally pulled back, snapping his hips. Dick yelped, the pleasure running through his body. Wally set a brutal pace, biting into Dick's neck to muffle his moans. Dick, on the other hand, had no problem being loud. His voice filled the room, moans and groans being punched from his body. It felt like all the pain his body had been experiencing was just melting away, thanks to Wally. His mind was clearing and getting cloudier at the same time. He's needed this for so long, now it was finally happening. 

Dick's body tensed as he came, his body spasming as he reached his orgasm. "That's a good boy. Just let me help you." Wally whispered, speeding up. Dick whimpered, digging his face in the pillow. He was overstimulated. Wally continued to thrust into Dick, pressing kisses to his neck and face. "You're so good, Dickie. So good to me. I'm the luckiest man alive. You feel so good. I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you." Wally repeated, letting the words fall from his tongue. He loved Dick so much. 

Wally pressed himself against Dick's body, moaning as he came. Dick let himself fall to the bed, Wally laid on top of him, wrapping his arms around his waist. "That felt great." "Yeah. I'm gonna need to clean up." "We can do that later. Right now, I wanna hold onto you." "I love you, Walls." "I love you too, Wally. You're not doing this just because of the pollen...are you?" "No. I really do love you, Dick. I've loved you for a long time." "I'm an idiot. You mean I could've just said I like you and we would've been dating a long time ago?" "Yep. Don't worry. I've been just as much of an idiot as you." "We're together once this shit wears off." "Deal."


	10. The young prince's value

Dick giggled as Wally swam after him, turning through coral to gain some distance. He'd managed to sneak away from the castle with Wally, and they were playing around in the coral reef. "I'm gonna get you!" Wally called. "You can try!" Dick called back, swimming into a shipwreck. Wally followed after him, using the ship's long halls to sneak up on him and nab him. Dick squealed as Wally pinned him down, giggling as the redhead started tickling him. "Wally! Stop it!" "Nope! I won, so this is my prize!" 

The two rolled around in the ship, trying to win. It was a nice day in the ocean, so they'd decided it would be the perfect day to play. They eventually made their way to the crow's nest, sitting and watching the fish swim by. "I have to go back soon." Dick whispered. "You're kidding...right?" "No. B sends someone to check up on me every few hours, so I have to be back before the light gets very bright." "But we just started!" "We've been swimming and playing for an hour and a half. I don't wanna go back, but I have to. We can go to the garden." "The groundskeeper always yells at me." "Alfred?" "No. The other one. The younger, meaner one. Alfred never yells unless I deserve it."

Dick leaned up, swimming out of the crow's nest. "Come on. I don't wanna leave you out here." "Fine. We'll come back later, though...right?" "Yeah. I'll see if Bruce can set up a picnic or something." "Okay." Wally grabbed Dick's hand, swimming back to the palace. Neither really wanted to leave, but they had to. All mers had been put on alert because of a threat to the kingdom. Parents were getting more protective of their children, and the duo were worried they'd be separated. They snuck back into the garden, sitting next to Dick's favorite seaweed. It didn't help much. They both knew it was getting bad.

"Oi! What are you doing here?" Mutengesi asked. "He's with me, Mono." Dick growled. Dick could never remember his full name, so he just called him Mono. Don't ask where the same came from, no one knows. Mono didn't like Wally, although Dick could never understand why. They'd never caused any trouble they didn't clean up. "That ain't the point. He's not supposed to be here." "If he's with me, then he's exactly where he needs to be. Shouldn't you be pruning the flowers, or something?" "Your father sent for you. I'm simply here to get you, and he insisted on bringing you alone." "Fine. You wanna chill in my room?" "Sure."

Wally swam towards the castle, and Dick followed Mono. "What does he want to talk to me about?" Dick asked, getting bored as they swam down dark tunnels. "Dunno. Didn't ask. He just said bring you here." "Why here? Why not in the throne room? or my room? Or the library?" "I don't know, so stop asking questions!" Dick crossed his arms, now following in glum silence. Mono was no fun. First, he sends Wally away. Second, he starts taking him down these deep, dark tunnels. Finally, he snaps at him for just being curious. Worst. Conversationalist. Ever.

They eventually came to a dark room, holding only an empty chest. "What's this for?" Dick asked, looking into it. "The only thing I know is he said he wanted you to look at it." "Strange. Normally there's stuff in these chests." "It may be hidden. Why don't you get inside? It might come out when the lock closes." "I might get stuck." "He gave me the key. I can get you out." Dick felt uncomfortable, but sat inside anyway. Mono closed the door, and Dick heard the lock click. He waited for what felt like forever.

"I don't think anything's happening." He called. "Just give it a second. It might need time." Did Mono sound...happy? Dick suddenly heard more clicking. Something rope-like wrapped around his body tightly, pulling his arms to his chest and covering his mouth. He yelped, although it was muffled, and tried to wriggle out of the restraints. It simply tightened, pressing him uncomfortably against the wood. "Finally. I'll have to tell Makanika his damn gears got stuck." Mono sighed, swimming over and picking up the chest. 

Dick was scared. He couldn't move or talk, and nobody had any idea where he was. As far as anybody knew, he was still safe. Where was Mono taking him? This was bad. This was really, really bad. Every time he tried to move, the ropes just got tighter, and there was a rope around his neck that would occasionally cut off his air supply. He felt lightheaded, sore, and he was terrified. He wanted to go home.

"Got him?" A gruff voice asked. "Yeah. Mananika's gears got stuck, though, so I had to wait longer. Little bugger almost gave me away." "Load him on the trailer so we can go, then. The sooner we get away from the king and his trident, the better." "I'd say you were almost scared, Ubongo." "I have seen the power he wields. I do not wish to oppose him." "We're taking his kid. It's a little late for that." "Let's hurry then." Mono set the box down heavily, making the rope around his neck tighten. "Easy! You'll choke him to death." Ubongo snapped. "He'll be fine." "I am loosening the one around his neck. Just drive and get us out of here." 

The rope around Dick's neck loosened, allowing him to gulp in a deep breath. The trailer started moving, pulling Dick with it and away from his home. The soft blue lights of his tail light the box enough for him to see, so he knew he was in danger. Bruce had told him tail lights only glow when a mer wasn't safe. Would he ever go home again? Would he ever see his family or Wally again? Maybe he'd be stuck in this box until he died. It seemed like a very likely scenario. He could already feel the rope around his neck tightening again, and knew he didn't have long to breathe.

As the trip went on, his tail got brighter. It was hard to see through his dimming vision, but he knew his blue lights were stronger. They filled the box, casting dark shadows on the restraints binding him down. He could feel the temperature change around him, getting colder and colder as they moved. His fingers had gone numb a long time ago, and his nose hurt against his face. He wasn't made for this cold. He was going to die before Bruce ever saw him again. Hells, he'd die before they even finished the trip. He wondered if they knew he was dying.

A crash snapped him out of his trance, making him jolt. His light was extremely bright now, and he could barely see anymore. He could hear lots of shouting, and metal started clashing against itself. Dick couldn't help but whimper, ears hurting at the sound of the ringing metal. Somebody grabbed the chest, trying to swim away with it. Something happened that Dick couldn't comprehend, and the chest was hitting the ground. He couldn't breathe anymore. His chest was desperately trying to expand, trying to fill Dick's lungs. His head lolled to the side, and his eyes slowly drifted closed.

He heard the sound of gears moving, and he felt a change in the water. Something had moved. A hand cupped his face, pulling his head up. Someone was talking. Were they talking to him? "...ckie? Dickie, chum, open your eyes." Bruce. That...that was Bruce! Dick tried to peel his eyes open, but his body refused. "Hand me your knife. I need to cut this off of him." "Is he okay?" "It's too tight on him. He can't breathe." The rope around his neck disappeared, and the makeshift gag was removed. He gasped, finally able to crack his eyes open again. He could see Bruce over him, another soldier next to him. 

"Go get a medic. Hey, chum, keep your eyes on me. Look at me, okay? We're gonna get you home." Bruce said softly as he continued to cut the ropes, using his hand to cradle Dick's head. "...B?" Dick rasped. "Yeah. It's me, chum. Stay awake, okay?" "W-What...happened?" "You were abducted. We managed to catch up to you." "How'd...you know?" "Your tail. The trident lets me know when it starts to glow, so I knew you were in danger. When we couldn't find Mutengesi, we knew he'd been the one to take you. We followed the trident, and it led us to you." "Wally?" "Still safe. We've got them, Dickie. They won't touch you ever again."

Bruce lifted Dick out of the chest, gently laying him on the sand. Dick reached up weakly, grabbing Bruce's hand. "I know, chum. Don't worry. You're safe now." The medic swam over with the other soldier, sitting in the sand next to Dick. "What happened?" "He was being choked, Leslie." "He's too cold. We need to get him to warmer waters. He'll be fine then, but he's not made for these cold waters. I'd be surprised if he could feel his fingers by now." Dick decided he'd been awake long enough. He let his eyes close, his grip around Bruce's hand going limp.

He woke up to a bright room, a blanket wrapped around him tightly. It wasn't too tight, not like the restraints, but tight enough to keep the heat in. "Hey, he's awake. Go get Bruce. Dickie? Can you hear me?" Wally asked, grabbing Dick's hand. "Walls?" "Yeah. You feel okay? Nothing broken?" "My head hurts, but I'm okay otherwise. What happened?" "You got kidnapped. Bruce found out, and took a group of soldiers to get you back. They captured the guys that took you, but you were really out of it. You got hypothermia, so Leslie said you needed to get bundled up in blankets.

"Who else was here?" "A soldier. Bruce appointed him, in case someone else turned. You've been out a few days." Dick tried to sit up. Wally pushed him down. "Leslie said keep you down. You're still not as strong as you need to be." "I feel fine." "That's for Leslie to decide. In the meantime, you're gonna get lots of rest, until you're completely better." "Fun sucker." "You just got kidnapped, and somehow I'm the fun sucker, rather than Mono." "Yep." "You make no sense sometimes." "You still love me." 

Bruce swam into the room, eyes immediately locking on the small figure in the bed. "Dick." "Hey, B. M' okay." Dick sighed as Bruce pulled him into a hug, wrapping his arms around Bruce's neck. "We're going to get Leslie to make sure, okay? You got very sick on the way back." "Kay. Whatever happened to Mono and Bongo?" "You mean Ubongo? They're in prison. Soldiers went out and found Makanika, and they're bringing him in. They'll face their punishments soon enough. As for you, you'll be following whatever treatment plan Leslie gives you until you're better." "Fine, long as you promise to take us on a picnic near the old ship wreck." "Deal."


	11. Night in the woods

Dick groaned as he opened his eyes, unsure of why he felt grass under his head. He didn't know why he hurt, either. His whole body hurt. It felt like everything was revolting against him. He weakly pushed himself up on his arms, trying to keep his vision from blacking out. It looked like he was in some sort of forest, except...the trees were gone. There were a few around him, but other than that, nothing was there. It was all bright light. Where was he? Had he been attacked? Had he been left for dead by a villain? No, that wasn't it. He wasn't in his Nightwing uniform. Maybe he'd been held for ransom. That was a very common occurrence in his life.

Dick forced himself to stand, leaning heavily on a tree. "What...h-happened?" Dick whispered to himself, wrapping his arms around his stomach. Nobody answered him. It was eerily quiet, too. No birds sang. There was no crunching of branches. The only thing that moved was the wind, pushing at him in an attempt to knock himself down. Alright, how did he get out of here? He probably couldn't move very far, so that knocked out long travels. He didn't seem to have a phone, so that was out of the question. Maybe he could run across a village? That seemed unlikely, though. He decided to try his luck and walk through the forest.

Dick blacked out at some point. He wasn't sure how, or when, but he found himself in some sort of abandoned parking lot. Old papers skittered across the ground, getting caught on light poles and rolling through empty spaces. This looked like the parking lot of that old store he and Wally used to go to that closed down about a year ago. He started making his way across the cement, doing his best to keep his legs from giving out underneath him. A thin sheen of sweat covered his body, and although the air seemed sweltering, there were no heat waves rising from the ground. Nothing seemed too distorted, beyond his damaged vision. He had to get out of here.

Dick blinked, and suddenly, he was on Wally's street. There were no houses, no cars, no kids playing in the street, but Dick recognized it. He recognized Wally's splattered mailbox, covered in blue and yellow from the paint war they had. He recognized the old, cracked driveway, which desperately needed to get redone. He even recognized the lawn, with patches of dead grass from the stray dog that sent Brucely crazy. There was the swinging bench that he and Wally had sat on after long and hot days of fixing his house during the summer. The flower bed that Aunt Iris demanded Wally take care of.

Dick sat on the bench, being taken over by a wave of exhaustion. Surely nobody could mind if he took a nap here. He was exhausted, probably sick or injured, or both, and he'd just come a long way on legs that refused to walk anymore. He laid down on the bench, looking up wearily at the bright sky. Where was everything? The houses, the cars, the buildings, the people? Was he alone now? Was he in some separate dimension, never to reunite with the people he loved again? Or was he just delusional, and everything was there? He didn't know. His eyes were too heavy, and his head hurt to think about that. He finally closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.

Wally was driving home around that time, talking on the phone to Bruce Wayne, who'd just broken the news about Dick's missing status. "No. He hasn't tried calling me. Or texting me. Yes, I'll check after the call. You're sure the trackers aren't working?" Wally had to pull the phone away as Bruce started chewing him out. Damn, he got stingy when Dick was gone. "No, I don't think you're stupid, but this is Dick we're talking about. He might've found a way to get the signal back on. Or maybe he called someone else. Do we even know what happened? Was Dick abducted, or did he just storm off again? Still trying to figure that out. Alright. Yeah, I'll call you if I find him. Hospital if he's hurt, or do you want me to take care of it? Yeah. I'll talk to you later."

Wally hung up, sighing to himself. Dick could be in a million places by now. How the hell was Wally supposed to have seen him? Yeah, he was worried, he was terrified, actually, but Bruce always got on his nerves. It was like he thought Wally was the one to kidnap him in the first place! Instead of actually looking for Dick, Bruce was lecturing Wally for not picking up the phone in the first three rings, which Wally called bullshit on. He knew plenty of times where Bruce didn't answer Dick until the very last ring. Yes, Wally gave him a taste of his own medicine, but he deserved it! He was always so busy harping on Dick for every little thing, and he only started acting concerned when he was missing. Dick was in the hospital? He'd visit for about thirty minutes. Dick had almost been killed? It's the job. Dick had admitted to being depressed and wanted to seek actual help with Dinah? Bruce was suddenly too busy to be a part of his son's life. Wally was sick of it.

He pulled into his driveway, turning off his car and rubbing his face. People always wondered how the hell Dick managed to smile all the time. Wally would say this if he could: it's a mask. It's something he's been conditioned to do since he was nine fucking years old, never allowed to take a break or cry in front of anyone. "Heroes stay strong," Batman would say, but Wally would say that's a load of bullshit and that everyone needed to be weak now and then. When Bruce was having a rough patch, Dick was always there for him. Even if it meant dropping something he cared about, he was there for Bruce. When Dick was around, it was like he was just a servant to Bruce. Do this, do that, fill out these files for me. When did Bruce actually take any off time to care for his kid?

Wally stepped out of the car, heading towards his front door. His eye was caught by a flash of black on his swing, and he almost dropped his keys when he saw what it was. Dick Grayson, his best friend who'd been missing for three days, was laying in his front lawn. He looked feverish, like he'd been sick for a while. Wally zipped over, kneeling down next to him. "Dick? Dick, hey, wake up. It's me, it's Wally. Please, Dick, wake up for me." Wally begged as he looked over Dick. He didn't seem to have any injuries, although he seemed weak. Wally slid his arms under Dick, picking him up and carrying him into the house. How long had he been out there? Wally had just told his dad he hadn't seen him! He was going to get killed when Bruce found out Dick had come to him.

Wally managed to open the door, carrying Dick inside and laying him on the couch. Brucely trotted over, sniffing excitedly at Dick. Dick usually brought treats for Brucely. "Not now, buddy. He's hurt." Wally gently whispered, moving to grab a water bottle and a few other things from his kitchen. He begged whatever gods were up there that he found Dick in time, and that he could save him. He cradled Dick's head with his hand, tipping the bottle to pour cool water into Dick's mouth. Maybe Wally could cool Dick down enough, he'd be okay. Wally could hear Brucely behind him, sniffing at Dick's pants. He kept nosing his thigh, as if expecting something. "I don't think he has any treats, bud. I don't think he planned coming here at all. From the way his hair is matted with dirt, I'd say he's been in a forest of some sort. But that doesn't make sense. He's not dressed for hiking." Wally muttered to himself.

Wally soaked a hand towel in water, patting at Dick's brow. "Come on, come on. Please be working." Brucely sat next to Wally, resting his head on the edge of the couch. He whined softly, pressing his nose against Dick's leg. "I know, buddy. I'm worried, too." Wally pet Brucely's head, watching Dick's chest rise and fall. He had to call Bruce soon. As much as he hated the guy's attitude, he knew Bruce needed to know about this. Besides, they could take care of Dick better than he could. They had Alfred, and he had himself. He wouldn't even try the internet, because for all he knew, a headache could mean death. He just had to do his best to take care of Dick for now.

Wally eventually pulled out his phone, locating Bruce's contact again. This was about to be frustrating. Wally sighed, calling Bruce and pushing his hair back. "Have you found him?" Yeah. I found him in my front yard. He was unconscious, and he seems really sick. I brought him in, and I'm trying to get him cooled down. It's not good." "Any injuries?" "Not that I can see, but I think he might have a concussion. I also think he might've been in some sort of forest. He's got a lot of dirt on him. " "Anything that can confirm that?"

Dick groaned, trying to open his eyes. It didn't seem as bright anymore. He could feel something on his forehead, which was cool against his burning skin. "Hold on, I think he's waking up. Dickie? Hey, can you hear me?" Wally set his phone on the floor, tilting Dick's head up to look at him. "Wally?" "Yeah. Yeah, it's me. You're safe now." "How did...what happened?" "I'm not sure. I found you on the bench outside. How do you feel? Does anything hurt?" "Everything hurts. Got a headache. It's too hot." "Okay, hang on. B, I'll call you back." Wally hung up before Bruce had the chance to answer, picking Dick up. Dick leaned his head on Wally's shoulder, watching through tired eyes as he was carried to the bathroom. 

Wally set him down on the floor, grabbing something out of the sink. "You keep petri dishes in your bathroom?" Dick croaked. "You don't? Anyway, I'm getting some of the dirt off of you, so we can figure out where you were." "Kinda remember a forest. Parking lot, too. You remember that old Food Donkey out in the hills?" "Yeah." "Looked like that. But the store was gone. There weren't any trees, either. It was all just a really bright light. Same with the forest and your street. There were no houses or cars, and the only trees were the ones near me." "Strange. You think it was a delusion?" "I don't know. I'm just really tired and sore." "Let's get you cleaned up. I bet you'll start feeling better."

Wally closed the dish and set it on his counter, turning to the shower. His eyes kept flicking back to Dick, who had set his head on his knees. "How much do you remember? Besides what you've already told me?" "I don't know. I don't remember going to the forest. I don't even remember leaving the Manor. I had the night off from patrol, so I went to sleep early. It seems unreal to me." "You sure you're okay, dude? You seem pretty out of it." "I can't keep my thoughts together. It's like I think about one thing, but it's gone the next second, and I'm thinking about something else. I don't like this, Wally. It feels wrong." "I know. You'll be better soon."

Wally helped Dick peel his clothes off, sitting him in the tub. He turned the shower on, although he pointed the head away from Dick, waiting to make sure it had heated up. "How's this?" Wally held out Dick's arm, letting the water run over his skin. "That feels good." "It's not too warm or cold?" "It's fine." "Alright. I'm gonna start rinsing this off, okay? Just sit there and let me do the work." "Kay." Wally started rinsing the dirt off of Dick, watching as the water turned a dark brown. This stuff was everywhere. Had Dick gone rolling in dirt? Well, with how weak he was, he might've fallen. It was a very likely situation. Who knows how long he was out for? There might've been a storm of some sort.

"I'm gonna start washing your hair. Do you need to lay against something?" "I think I'll be okay. Thanks, though." "Alright. Hey, if you start falling asleep, you've got to tell me." "Okay. I'm good for now." "You sure?" "Yeah, I'm sure, Walls." "I need you to hold this when I'm scrubbing the soap in. You have to stay with me for just a bit longer." Wally leaned Dick's head back, letting the water push the dirt out. Dick sighed, letting himself relax some. Wally had him. Wally could keep him safe. "That feel good?" "Yeah. Thanks, Walls." "It's no problem. You'd do the same for me." "I'd have to lug you in here, though. You and everyone else turned out to be a bunch of trees." "We also weren't short kids." "Shaddup." Wally chuckled, dodging the water Dick flicked at him.

Wally wrapped Dick in a towel when they were done, rubbing the water off his skin. "Does that feel better?" "Much. You don't happen to have an extra pair of clothes, do you? Mine are kinda dirty." "Yeah. Let me go grab them." Wally walked out of the bathroom, heading to his room. Sure, his clothes would be a bit big, but they would be cleaner than Dick's. He grabbed a long sleeve shirt and sweatpants, along with boxers and a pair of socks. "I got you some comfort clothes. I'm gonna need you to work with me here, okay? I'll be quick, I promise." Dick nodded, letting Wally pull the towel away. 

Wally helped him into the shirt first, pulling it over his head. It hung off one of his shoulders, and the sleeves were too long, but he didn't seem to mind. They took care of the boxers next, sliding them up Dick's shaking legs. The sweatpants were next, although the strings had to be tightened. Everything looked like it was giant on him. "You want socks?" "No. Feel like I'll slip and fall." "Okay. Let's get you to bed, alright? I'll call Bruce again, let him know you're a little better." "Okay." Dick let Wally lead him away, leaning heavily on the redhead. His head felt funny. 

Wally sat Dick in the recliner Uncle Barry bought him, leaning it back. "Why not the couch?" Dick asked as Wally laid a blanket over his lap. "It's still got a ton of dirt on it. You just got clean, and I don't want to get you dirty again. Just go to sleep, Dick. You're safe here." Brucely leapt up into Dick's lap, curling up on his thighs. "See? Even Brucely wants you to sleep. You need the rest." "I know. Is B coming?" "Don't know. I kinda hung up on him. Best guess, he's probably on his way here to chew me out. He'll be here soon." Dick nodded, leaning back in the chair and resting his hand on Brucely's back. He just needed to get his brain to relax and let him sleep.

Bruce knocked on the door about two hours later, standing irritably on Wally's porch. "Where is he?" "Chill. He's in here. He's sleeping right now. I got a sample of the dirt before I washed him, and his clothes are in the dryer right now. He's been asleep for about an hour and a half. I've been keeping an eye on his temperature, and it seems to be staying down. He's had water, but I didn't want to push food. He was kind of nauseous a bit ago, so I definitely think he's sick. Alfred will have to confirm that." "Why didn't you call me back?" "Because you get real fucking pissy when he's missing, and I didn't really feel like getting my head bitten off for taking care of your kid. Do you know what happened yet, or not?" The two glared at each other, their gaze biting into the other.

"Masked assailants came into his room the night he went missing. We think they drugged him inside his room, out of the cameras. However, we found video evidence of them carrying him out of the grounds. We're not sure how he got away, but he did, and managed to make it here." Bruce grit out. It was no secret he and Wally weren't the best of friends, but they shared a common job and a common interest in keeping Dick safe, so it wasn't like they could avoid each other. Bruce found the boy to headstrong. Wally found Bruce selfish when it came to Dick.

"B?" Dick whispered, trying to sit up. "Hey, Dickie. How do you feel?" "I'm tired and sore, but I'm okay otherwise. Wally took care of me." "How much do you remember?" "Not much. Part of the trip here, but Wally and I think half of it was delusional. Nothing before that." "No drugs of any sort?" "No. Not that I can think of. Why?" "A group of masked assailants got into your room. We think they might have drugged you. There is a possibility we may be able to identify what you were drugged with, if you were drugged." "I don't remember any, but that doesn't mean I wasn't." "I'm going to take you back to the manor once your clothes finish drying, okay? Alfred will be able to take care of you there." "Can Wally come over?" "We'll see."

Bruce's phone started ringing. "It's work. I'll be back in a minute, okay? This is Bruce Wayne." Bruce walked out to the porch, standing in front of the window. "I get the feeling he doesn't trust me around you." Wally whispered as he sat next to Dick. "He's just being an overprotective parent. Doesn't matter. I'll find a way to hang out with you, even if he says no." "Yeah. Can you get Alfred to text me the results later? Something tells me he won't want to share them." "Yeah. I know this is a lot to ask, but right now, while I'm still really out of it, can you two try not to argue? I know you try to hide it, but it kinda hurts when two people I love fight." "I'll do my best. I don't know about Bruce, but I'll try." "Thanks. I'll do my best to get better quickly, so if you two start arguing, I can smack you." "Sure. I'm holding you to that." Dick chuckled, leaning against Wally. Sure, he hurt like hell, and there were still so many questions that needed to be answered, but he knew they'd figure it out eventually. They always did.


	12. The young prince's value 2

Dick was now fifteen, swimming around in the oceans and giggling as Wally caught up with him. It had been almost seven years since Dick's abduction, which had earned Dick a fear of nets and chests (especially when the two were combined), and a deep distrust for new mers that lasted about four years. He and Wally were secretly dating, and were closer than ever. If Dick's brothers ever got on his nerves, Wally was the one who could calm him down. He could get him to go back to sleep after a nightmare, and he could convince him to eat when he wasn't hungry. Alternatively, Dick was the one who could get Wally to slow down and think before he did something. He could help Wally understand the schoolwork, and he could get him to stay calm during exam weeks.

Dick's brothers didn't know he'd been kidnapped. They had no idea he'd almost died at age eight. Tim was the only one who knew, and that's because he'd done some research and stumbled across Leslie's file. Jason constantly teased him for his fears. He'd cover Dick's room in nets, place empty chests around the castle and pretend to push him in. Dick wasn't quite sure how many panic attacks he'd been put through, but the number kept increasing, and Wally was getting pissed. Jason had no right to do that to Dick. Dick never teased him about his fear of sardines, which had no backstory to it, and left well enough alone. Jason seemed to derive some sort of sick pleasure out of watching his brother panic. Jason liked to play pranks when Dick was asleep, too. One time, Dick had woken up in the coral reef, a net wrapped tightly around him. It had taken hours for Wally to calm him down afterwards.

The only problem to Jason's newest plan was that Wally now spent every living second with Dick. He wasn't sure when this change had occurred, but he suddenly couldn't Dick alone at any point. Well, sure, he was never usually alone alone. He'd had a bodyguard around him for the past few years, protecting him from Neptune knows what. What did Dick have to be afraid of, really? The kingdom had been at peace for years. Dick was in one of the safest places under the water. Who was going to attack him? Well, Jason was, but that was besides the point! He wasn't going to kill Dick. He may get a little scratched up, but scratches were a part of life. Jason had gotten roughed up for years, and he turned out fine! Okay, maybe not fine fine. He had a pretty sick sense of humor. But that was part of his charm!

Jason eventually found the answer to his plan. The bodyguard was being called on a training mission, and Wally had an exam that day. That meant Dick would be alone. Jason had a master plan, you see. He was going to ask to Dick to help him find something in the attic, then push him into an old chest he'd found up there. It was empty, so he wouldn't hit anything. The lock had been busted a long time ago, so he could get out. It was from some sort of expedition that happened before he was born. Dick would've been about seven or eight, so if cleaning out failed, he said he had questions about it. He had to watch the sickening sight of Dick kissing Wally, and had to wait for an hour just to be safe before he could finally execute his plan.

"Oi, Dickie! Need your help for something." Jason called as he swam into the library. Dick was sitting on the couch, reading a book that Jason had no interest in. "What's up?" "B wants me to find something in the attic, but it'll take forever if I do it by myself. Mind helping?" Dick shrugged. "Why not? Got nothing else to do till Wally gets back." Jason grinned to himself, swimming up to the tower with Dick close behind. He couldn't believe this was working. Dick was actually following him. He was lucky today. Normally, the bodyguard was insisting he grab a servant, but he was gone today.

"What did Bruce say you were looking for?" "Some old sword. Said one of the kings before him used it, and he wanted to preserve it as an artifact." "Weird. I thought all the kings used the trident?" "That's what he said. I'm just following orders. Knowing the old mers, it'll probably be in some sort of trunk. You're gonna have to conquer your fear for a bit." "How about you check the chests, I'll check the closets." "Deal. I'll call you if I find anything." "Don't do anything stupid. There might be magic up here." "I'll do my best." Dick swam to one side of the attic, and Jason swam to the other. 

Jason pretended to search, trifling through drawers and chests alike. He left the empty chest alone, saving that for last. Yeah, everything was starting to come together now. He could see Dick to his left, searching through closets and shooing little sea-bugs away. Dick was trying to wrack his brain, trying to think of any kings that used a sword. One of the Queens might have, but the kings were usually extremely possessive of the trident. They were more willing to give up their lives, rather than the weapon. It just made no sense to him. And how did Bruce even know one of the kings used a sword when it wasn't in any history he remembered? Was there some secret history only kings learned? It was confusing.

"Hey, I think I found it!" Jason called, holding open the empty trunk. Dick started to swim over, going slowly around the chest. "Why would it be in this one?" "What's this one?" "A bad memory. One I'd rather not touch on right now." "We're literally surrounded by mers's bad history. What's so different about this one?" "Jay, I was a kid. These mers were adults. They knew what their actions would mean. I was only eight. I was still immature and stupid. The difference between kids and adults in kids get hit so much fucking harder. I couldn't trust anyone new. It took me almost a year just to get close to a chest without panicking. That's what I mean by it's a bad memory. It screwed up my life. I don't want to dwell on it. If that's all you need, I'm leaving."

"Hold your seahorses! You're not just going to drop that and not explain." Jason swam in front of the door, blocking Dick from getting out. "Jason, move." "Not till I get some fucking answers. Is that why you don't go near nets or chests? Is that why you've always got that damn bodyguard around, even though nothing's happened for a decade? You don't get to hide this shit from me. You're the one who's always harping on us about trusting each other. It's time to take your own advise, so spill: what the hell happened to you?" Jason knew he was playing with fire. He was dealing with an Alpha male with an Alpha boyfriend and an Alpha father. He'd come here for a prank, but it had changed now. Now it was finding out Dick's dark secret.

Dick sighed, sitting down in front of a chest. "I was eight, like I said before. Wally and I were in the garden when one of the groundskeepers told us that Bruce had sent for me, and he wanted me alone. That should've been the first sign. Bruce never called for me to be alone, and especially not when Wally was around. But I sent Wally to my room, thinking I'd go back once we were done talking. I could never remember the groundskeeper's name, so I called him Mono. We found out a few years later that it was a code name. It meant traitor in his language. I always had a bad feeling about him, which should've been the second sign, but I followed him anyway. He took me down halls I'd never seen before, telling me he didn't know what Bruce wanted. Third sign: Bruce always told whoever he was sending what he wanted me for. He would say whether I'm in trouble or not.

"We got to a room, which only held an empty chest. He told me that Bruce had something for me, and that maybe whatever it was would appear when the door closed. I sat in it, and waited for a long time. Nothing happened. I told Mono I didn't think it was working, and he told ]me to wait. He sounded happy, and sickeningly so. Before I could think, something was wrapping around me, pinning me down and gagging me. It wrapped around my neck, and tightened any time I moved. I was trapped. I was terrified, but I couldn't move. I had trouble breathing, and I was scared nobody would know where I was. Mono brought me to another guy, named Ubongo, which meant brains. He was the one who orchestrated the whole thing. They started to take me away, and my tail started glowing. It wasn't good. We went into waters that were too cold for me, and I almost froze to death.

"I'm not sure when, but at some point, Bruce and his men caught up with us. There was a big battle, and I was so out of it I didn't understand what was going on. The soldier's swords clashed against theirs, and it hurt my ears. I don't know how many of them there really were, but there was a lot of fighting. Bruce managed to get ahold of the chest, and cut me out. But at that point, it was almost too late. I had been suffocated and frozen for a long time, and I passed out. I woke up later in the castle, wrapped up in blankets because I'd gotten sick. I'd gotten hypothermia. Leslie told me I'd almost died. That fucks up a kid's head, Jay, it fucks it up a lot. I wouldn't go anywhere without Wally or the bodyguard next to me. I didn't play with the other kids. I was too scared. It took me months to finally realize I was safe. When there was a storm up above us, I'd swim to Bruce's room and refuse to leave until it passed. That's what I mean by bad memory. Can I leave now?"

Jason shrugged. "Y'know, originally I brought you up here to lock you in that chest. There was no sword. But you know what? I won't do that." "Jay-" "instead, I'll just lock you up here. There's plenty to explore." Jason slipped out of the door, sliding a wooden beam through the handle. "Jason! Let me out!" Dick called, rattling the door. "I'm being nice, Dickie! I'll see you soon." Jason swam down the stairs, grinning at his intelligence. That was pretty smooth, considering it'd been on the fly. Maybe nobody would notice Dick was gone until tomorrow. He might even be able to go through Dick's room! The possibilities were endless for Jason.

Dick slid down the door, trying to fight the tears that welled up. He thought Jason had finally stopped all this nonsense. He thought he would actually be able to open up to someone about this. Instead, he'd been locked in the dusty old attic with the chest that had started all his problems. Simon was gone for the training regiment, and Wally was probably still taking his exam. Bruce would be busy running the kingdom, and Tim was probably in the lab again, doing experiments on the sea life. A servant might notice, but he often snuck out to the shipwrecks, so they might assume he was there. Nobody would think to look here; in the place that housed his greatest fear. Nobody could get Dick near that chest again, and now he was locked in the same room as it. The only reason he'd agreed to come up here was because he thought the chest had been destroyed.

"Don't cry, mister. We're not mean." A little voice called out. Dick jumped, pressing himself to the door. A little mer floated in front of him, but...it was transparent. A ghost. "Who are you?" Dick tried to steady his breathing. He'd heard many tales about ghosts. "My name's Malina. Who are you? I thought people didn't come up here anymore." "I'm Dick. Dick Grayson. I came up here because my liar of a brother said he was looking for something. He locked me in here." "That doesn't sound very nice. Is that why you're crying?" "It's part of it. I went through something bad a long time ago, and he knows that. He likes to try and lock me in chests. He locked me in here with a chest I was locked in before." "So you're not scared of us?" "No. I've heard lots of stories of ghosts trying to save people. I'm not scared at all." "My momma wants to meet you, but she's scared. Says you might hurt her." "I won't hurt her. I promise." "You promise promise?" "I promise promise." "Okay. It's safe to come out!"

Dick watch as the room filled with ghosts, Kings and Queens of the past all together. One of the queens swam forward, kneeling down in front of him. "This is my momma, Queen Sheila! Momma, this is Dick. He got locked in here." "It's a pleasure to meet you. We've known you for a long time, Dick Grayson." "The feeling is mutual. But what are you all doing here? Shouldn't your spirits have passed on?" "We were offered the chance to move on. But those of us in here found it dull. Why stay in a house when you can explore? When you're dead, nothing can hurt you. You understand it, even though it doesn't seem that way." "How? I don't remember meeting you." "It arose from the same situation this chest returned from. On your journey back, Dick Grayson, your heart stopped. You died. Your spirit appeared in front of the Fates, but they knew it was not your time. They sent you back to your body, and you have been granted the gift of life once more."

"I died?" "Indeed. But you were brought back. It is why you had trouble readjusting. You felt the calm death brought, and wanted that same feeling. You could not find it. You are not the only one." "Is that why I couldn't be alone?" "Yes. Your spirit was still recovering, and needed the presence of others. It took four years for your soul to heal." "Why were you afraid I'd hurt you?" "The last mer who came up here intended to banish us all. He was defeated, but it was a close call." "I'm sorry." "It is not your fault. It may be a while until someone comes up here, so we can keep you company until then." "Thank you."

In the end, Wally found Dick, and Jason was grounded for a month. Dick never told anyone about the ghosts in the attic, although everyone noticed he wasn't as wary around nets and chests anymore.


End file.
